EPISODE · Jun 8, 2025 · 18 MIN
Philip Dick, Ubik - Pat Conley, A New Talent - Sadler's Lectures
from Sadler's Lectures · host Lectures on classic and contemporary philosophical texts and thinkers by Gregory B. Sadler
This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th Century American science-fiction short story writer and novelist, Philip K. Dick's novel Ubik It focuses specifically on one important character we meet early on in the work, Pat Conley, who has a seemingly new psionic talent, the ability to go back and change the past, which then alters the present, allowing her to nullify the talents of precogs in a different way. She is brought to Joe Chip's apartment for testing of her abilities, and uses her talent when he first submits a report advising not to hire her and then a fake report of her having a high level of talent but also being dangerous. For some time in the novel, Joe and Glen Runciter believe her to be the main antagonistic force causing the deaths of other team members, but it turns out that she is not, and that she herself is mistaken about that To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler You can get a copy of Ubik here - https://amzn.to/4k8i348
What this episode covers
This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th Century American science-fiction short story writer and novelist, Philip K. Dick's novel Ubik It focuses specifically on one important character we meet early on in the work, Pat Conley, who has a seemingly new psionic talent, the ability to go back and change the past, which then alters the present, allowing her to nullify the talents of precogs in a different way. She is brought to Joe Chip's apartment for testing of her abilities, and uses her talent when he first submits a report advising not to hire her and then a fake report of her having a high level of talent but also being dangerous. For some time in the novel, Joe and Glen Runciter believe her to be the main antagonistic force causing the deaths of other team members, but it turns out that she is not, and that she herself is mistaken about that To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler You can get a copy of Ubik here - https://amzn.to/4k8i348
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Philip Dick, Ubik - Pat Conley, A New Talent - Sadler's Lectures
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